The use of an electric motor to rotate a fan blade to create an airflow has long been known in the art. Such fans can produce substantial airflow (e.g., 1,000 ft3/minute or more), however, essentially no sanitizing of the flowing air occurs.
It is known to provide such fans with a HEPA-compliant filter element to remove particulate matter larger than perhaps 0.3 p.m. Unfortunately, the resistance to airflow presented by the filter element may require doubling the electric motor size to maintain a desired level of airflow. Further, HEPA-compliant filter elements are expensive, and can represent a substantial portion of the sale price of a HEPA-compliant filter-fan unit. While such filter-fan units can condition the air by removing large particles, particulate matter small enough to pass through the filter element, including bacteria viruses and mold, for example, may not be removed.
Thus, new methods are needed to sanitize air that may contain microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses or mold.